Shearer Warns Arteta's Arsenal Future Hangs on Premier League Title After Wolves Stalemate

Alan Shearer reckons Mikel Arteta could be facing an uncertain future at Arsenal should the club fail to land the Premier League crown this season.

The Gunners had looked well-positioned atop the table, holding a five-point cushion over Manchester City, yet Wednesday's stalemate against Wolves—currently propping up the division—has dramatically shifted the landscape. Should Pep Guardiola's outfit win every remaining fixture, including their home clash with Arsenal, the title is theirs to claim.

The momentum has decidedly favoured the blue half of Manchester. Arsenal have managed just two victories in their last six outings and currently sit seventh in the form standings, hardly the trajectory of champions-elect. A fourth consecutive runners-up finish looms large, and the psychological weight appears to be bearing down on both players and manager alike.

Yet Shearer maintains Arsenal will likely get the job done, insisting he always anticipated turbulence along their journey. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the Newcastle legend outlined his thinking: "They'll probably still win it, just. I think if you need a game after what has happened then it is not a bad one to have in your local rivals. I know they have a new manager and it is away, but what a response it would be to go and win at Tottenham at the weekend."

He continued: "I never expected Arsenal to do it the easy way, I always knew there were going to be bumps and everything else, nervy times. People are going to be chucking questions and bombs and you have to get over that. I did expect this to happen."

However, Shearer's optimism comes with a significant caveat. "If he doesn't win the league he might not be at Arsenal," he stated bluntly. "After the chances they have had to win it and finishing second, with what they have spent on the players they have got and the positions they are in, they have to win it."

The former England striker suggested that clinching the Champions League might prove psychologically easier given Arsenal's repeated Premier League disappointments. "Mentally maybe it would be an easier barrier to get over to win that rather than the Premier League because of what has happened to them in the Premier League," he reflected.

Shearer's comments chime with broader concerns about Arteta's tenure. After six-and-a-half years in the hot seat, the manager faces mounting pressure to deliver the trophy that has eluded Arsenal since 2004.

Micah Richards, analysing the situation alongside Shearer, highlighted the tactical battle that lies ahead. "You have got a manager who wants to protect and a manager who wants to win," he observed. "That is going to be what it will be until the end of the season. Who is going to outdo each other in their tactics?"

Richards acknowledged that Arteta has adapted his approach—moving away from the free-flowing football of his early years—to chase results. "When Arteta first started at Arsenal, the football he played was sensational, the passing, the speed from back to front," he noted. "There is nothing wrong with being a Mourinho up against Pep. This notion you have to play this amazing football—Pep is the best at doing that, so you have to adapt."

The crux of Richards' argument, however, was unforgiving: "The problem is if he doesn't win the league at the end of it he will be judged for the football he plays. He has to get over the line for his own sake."